Lachenalia Jacq. f. ex Murray plant named ‘Riana’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct form of Lachenalia plant characterized by a bulb plant type having a spreading growth habit of a height of 15-30 centimetres (cm) and width of 10-15 cm having a hyacinth-like soft pink flower with spreading tips; green leaves with maroon spots, further characterized in that the spots are fairly pronounced in that it has a good contrast.

Genus and species: Lachenalia Jacq. f. ex Murray.

Variety denomination: ‘Riana’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofLachenalia, botanically known as Lachenalia Jacq. f. ex Murray havingthe common name of Viooltjies/Cape cowslip and hereinafter referred toby its variety denomination ‘Riana’.

The variety was first cultivated in 2008 and originated by means ofconventional breeding by the inventor during 2009 to 2010 at thepremises of Agricultural Research Council Vegetable and Ornamental PlantInstitute, Roodeplaat, Pretoria, Republic of South Africa.

Asexual reproduction of the ‘Riana’ plant at the same location has shownthat the unique features thereof are stable and reproduced true to typein successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention constitutes a new and distinct variety ofLachenalia which originated from the controlled pollination between aLachenalia hybrid as seed bearing parent and a Lachenalia viridiflora aspollen parent as detailed hereinbelow.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics, under the local evaluation conditions, ofthe ‘Riana’ plant. These characteristics in combination distinguish‘Riana’ as a new and distinct Lachenalia cultivar:

-   -   1. Bulb plant type having a spreading growth habit of a height        of 15-30 centimeters (cm) and width of 10-15 cm.    -   2. Flower color: soft pink (RHS #55B).    -   3. Leaf color: green (RHS #141C) with maroon (RHS #60A) spots.    -   4. Flower form: Hyacinth like with spreading tips.

Color references are made to The R.H.S. Color Chart, 1^(st) edition,1966, except where general color terms of ordinary significance are usedor indicated otherwise.

Plants of the new Lachenalia variety ‘Riana’ can be compared to similardenominations such as ‘Winsome’ and ‘Leipoldt’.

‘Winsome’ has darker and brighter pink flowers compared to the soft pink(RHS #55B) color of ‘Riana’. The tips of the flowers of ‘Winsome’ arepurple-pink compared to the cream-yellow (RHS #4C) tips of ‘Riana’.‘Winsome’ has tubular flowers whilst the flowers of ‘Riana’ havespreading tips. This results in a denser appearance of theinflorescence. ‘Riana’ in general also has shorter inflorescencescompared to that of ‘Winsome’.

‘Leipoldt’ has pink flowers but with a more orange tone and with darkpurple tips compared to the soft pink (RHS #55B) flowers of ‘Riana’ withcream-yellow (RHS #4C) tips. Flowers of ‘Leipoldt’ have spreading tipslike ‘Riana’ but the density of ‘Riana’ is better than that of‘Leipoldt’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The drawing illustrates the overall appearance of the ‘Riana’, showingthe colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in coloredreproductions of this type. The drawing comprises a front perspectiveview of a typical ‘Riana’ grown in an indoor nursery.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned drawing, following observations and measurementsdescribe ‘Riana’ grown by the inventor on behalf of AgriculturalResearch Council Vegetable and Ornamental Plant Institute, Roodeplaat,Pretoria, Republic of South Africa. Thereafter ‘Riana’ was made subjectof a South African Plant Breeders' Right application in March 2009. Thisapplication was granted in 2010 under number ZA20104397.

The plant has an intermediate flower time and may be used forlandscaping and should be planted during the month of March; indoors andin pots only. The plant should be kept at temperatures of 20-25 degreesCelsius during the day and 10-15 degrees Celsius at night. Plenty oflight should be provided.

‘Riana’ is a hybrid-hybrid cross containing the following Lachenaliaspecies: Lachenalia orchioides subsp. glaucina, Lachenalia bulbifera,Lachenalia quadricolor, Lachenalia aloides and Lachenalia rubida.

The female cultivar of ‘Riana’ is known as ‘Rupert’ whereas the malecultivar is ‘Rolina’.

‘Riana’ can be compared to ‘Rupert’ and ‘Rolina’ but differs in that theflower color is a soft pink (RHS #55B) compared to the purple andapricot colors of ‘Rupert’ and ‘Rolina’ respectively. The flower form of‘Riana’ is hyacinth-like with spreading tips compared to the tubularform of ‘Rolina’. The maroon (RHS #60A) spots on the leaves of the‘Riana’ plant are furthermore more pronounced in that they have a goodcontrast compared to the low contrast found in ‘Rupert’.

The ‘Rupert’ flower tips are furthermore purple, whereas ‘Riana’ flowershave cream-yellow (RHS #4C) tips.

‘Rolina’ has much taller inflorescence than ‘Riana’ and leaf spots in‘Riana’ are more pronounced.

Riana was originally produced sexually from a cross between the twocultivars ‘Rupert’ and ‘Rolina’ as mentioned above. A specific seedlingwith number 2000/113/74 was selected from this cross and thereafterasexually propagated. The asexual progeny of this seedling is thecultivar ‘Riana’ and was multiplied via tissue culture at the premisesof Agricultural Research Council Vegetable and Ornamental PlantInstitute, Roodeplaat, Pretoria, Republic of South Africa.

The following characteristics of ‘Riana’ are described with reference todescription of said characteristic which are comparable with thementioned variety/ies having said similar characteristic.

-   Leaf: Monocolored.    -   -   Spots on upper side.—Present, small and with good contrast.

Variety having Description of similar Characteristic: ‘Riana’:characteristics: Attitude: Semi-erect ‘Romaud’ Length: Medium to long -25 cm Width: Medium to wide - 5.7 cm Ratio: length/width Large‘Rodelein’ (elongated): 4.4:1 Shape: Oblong ‘Romargo’ Color: Green‘Roinge’ (RHS #141C) Leaf color designation for Green (RHS lower sidesof the leaf #141C) Shape in cross section: Angular ‘Robyn’, ‘Romelia’Recurving of margin: Absent ‘Eliza’, ‘Rodelein’ Undulation of margin:Absent ‘Romelia’ Blistering and pubescence Absent ‘Rodelein’, ‘Rosabeth’of upper side: Spots on upper side: Present (Maroon ‘Bontrok’, ‘Roinge’,color) (RHS ‘Rosabeth’ #60A) Number of spots per leaf Amount differsfrom plant to plant, no exact number of spots per leaf Size of spots onupper side: Large ‘Eliza’, ‘Roklara’ (Between 0.3-1.5 cm) Density ofspots on upper side: Medium ‘Roinge’, ‘Rosabeth’ Intensity of spots onupper Light to medium side: Markings on outer side of leaf Present‘Roinge’, ‘Rozanne’ base:

-   Peduncle:

Variety having Description of similar Characteristic: ‘Riana’:characteristics: Length: Medium - 17 cm ‘Rosabeth’ Peduncle colordesignation Purplish (RHS #53B) Spots or markings: Present ‘Bontrok’,‘Rosabeth’ Coloration of peduncle spots Purplish (RHS #53B) Size ofspots or markings: Large (some cover ‘Roinge’, ‘Roline’ the entire stem)Density of spots or markings: Dense, covers the ‘Roinge’ peduncle: spotsmay be as close as 0.2 mm, but may differ

-   Bud:

Characteristic: Description of ‘Riana’: Color Light pink (RHS #55C) withgreen (RHS #150B) tips

-   Inflorescense:

Variety having Description of similar Characteristic: ‘Riana’:characteristics: Length: Medium to long - 22 cm Rudimentary apex:Conspicuous ‘Ronette’ Number of flowers: Many ‘Romaud’, ‘Sonni’ (40+flowers)

-   Flower:

Variety having Description of similar Characteristic: ‘Riana’:characteristics: Description of floral organs Inflorescence containingindividual tubular flowers with spreading tips attached with pedicels tothe peduncle Attitude: Horizontal ‘Robyn’, ‘Romargo’ Pedicel: Present‘Romelia’ Length of pedicel: Short to medium (2-3 millimeter (mm))Length of flower: Medium - 2.7 cm ‘Lizette’, ‘Rolene’, ‘Sonni’ Diameterexcluding apex: Medium - 0.8 cm ‘Romargo’, ‘Romelia’, ‘Rosabeth’Diameter at apex: Large - 1.9 cm ‘Romelia’, ‘Sonni’ Attitude of distalpart of inner Spreading ‘Rozanne’ perianth segments Glossiness: AbsentPredominant color: Soft pink ‘Rozanne’, ‘Winsome’ (RHS #55B) Intensityof predominant color: Medium to strong Outer perianth segment: colorRed-purple of basal part just before (plum) (RHS opening of flower #70Bof RHS color chart, 2^(nd) edition, 1986) Outer perianth segment: colorRed-purple (RHS of basal part of fully opened #70C of RHS flower colorchart, 2^(nd) edition, 1986) Outer perianth segment: color Clearlydifferent ‘Ronette’ of apex relative to other part Outer perianthsegment: color Cream-yellow of apex if clearly different (RHS #4C) fromother part Inner perianth segment: Present ‘Ronette’ distinct spot inmiddle of apex Inner perianth segment: color Similar ‘Biedou’, ‘Rupert’of margin of apex relative to other part Inner perianth segment: colorOther (light pink) ‘Leipoldt’, ‘Louis’ of differently colored margin(RHS #55C) of apex Inner perianth segment: Cream-yellow predominantcolor of exposed (RHS #4C) part (excluding differently colored margin ofapex) Length of inner perianth Longer ‘Roinge’, ‘Rosabeth’ segmentcompared to outer segments: Extrusion of stamens: Absent ‘Roinge’,‘Rosabeth’ Fragrance: Absent ‘Romelia’ Bulb: predominant shape: Oblate‘Romaud’ Time of flowering: Medium - ‘Louis’, ‘Rozanne’ flowering timevary from June to July (Southern Hemisphere) Duration of flowering: Long‘Romelia’, ‘Rosabeth’ (up to 2 and a half months)

-   Others:

Characteristic: Description of ‘Riana’: Description of the bulbCream/white (color designation - RHS including size and color of the#158B) bulb at maturity Size: between 1.5 to 2 cm in diameter Time ofleaf growth/bud burst Starts within the first week of watering (normallyMarch/April in Southern Hemisphere) A description of any fruit and Noseed or fruit seed set Timing of leaf senescence After flowering hascompleted and starts to die down, the leaves start to die off (wheatcolor) and plant dry out (September - October in Southern Hemisphere)

The variety is not genetically modified and has been tested to be freeof Ornithogalum Mosaic Virus.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Lachenaliaplant named ‘Riana’ as illustrated and described herein.